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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata first in-car observations

We've had few days to digest the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata since the roadster was first revealed on Wednesday evening when we offered you our first impressions. Since that time, we've gone back and looked at the car a number of times in person here in California, and we've even seen it briefly run under its own power (okay, it was more of a saunter). What we didn't get the chance to do at the reveal, however, was sit inside the car. We've since been able to remedy that, and while we haven't been allowed to drive the new roadster, we do have some initial in-car impressions to share with you.
First, the location and feel of the major controls is quite excellent. The three-spoke steering wheel is an MX-5 specific item - it's not shared with any other Mazda. That's vital, because others would likely be too big in diameter or have the wrong rim thickness. The wheel's redundant controls seem to be well laid out and the airbag boss is very small. The column tilts, but unfortunately and somewhat inexplicably, it still doesn't telescope.
Pedals are well-spaced, and the six-speed manual has the same short throws and positive engagement that we've come to know and love.

Mazda CX-5 in auto-brake accident on Japanese test drive

As we slowly march towards a world where our cars will drive for us, there will be mishaps. Systems will act up, not behave has intended or we'll simply forget to turn them on. We all remember when Volvo tested the S60's City Safety system. Now Mazda has had an issue of its own.
During a test of a Mazda CX-5's Smart City Brake Support on a dealership lot in Japan, a prospective customer and a dealership employee were injured when they hit a urethane barrier used for testing the system. According to Bloomberg, which spoke with the Saitama Prefectural Police, the impact with the barrier left the customer with an injured neck while the dealership employee suffered a fractured arm. Considering the injuries, we imagine this wasn't a small barrier.
"For any safety function, it's impossible to be 100-percent free of accidents. These technical functions aren't always the easiest to understand," IHS Automotive auto parts analyst, Hiroshi Ataka told Bloomberg.

Sell your own: 2012 Mazda CX-9 AWD

Looking to sell your car? We make it both easy and free. Quickly create listings with up to six photos and reach millions of buyers. Log in and create your free listings. If your only connection to Mazda is the MX-5 Miata, know there's more to the Hiroshima-based carmaker than "zoom" - there's also room. The 3-row CX-9 is the roomiest Mazda, 200 inches long with some 100 cubic feet of cargo space. The CX-9 wasn't Mazda's first stab at a crossover. Its original MPV was more crossover than minivan, with a RWD/AWD platform and – get this! – an available manual trans. While the MPV morphed into a more conventional minivan, Mazda introduced the CX-7, CX-9, CX-5 and – most recently – the subcompact CX-3. Although the CX-7 is no more, the crossover segment remains hot. This for-sale CX-9 is from the model's previous generation. It's also the beneficiary of the last V6, as its more upscale replacement boasts only a turbocharged four. We like both, but the V6 is relatively refined. And this car's price of $16,000 sure beats a new CX-9's $36,000. It's almost $2K above an average selling price, but with a clean Carfax and its 60K major service behind it (and some price flexibility) this CX-9 could provide some voluminous value. Related Video: